Tricky time for Thame Town Council budget setting

THE removal of a support grant by South Oxfordshire District Council and an increase in Employer National Insurance contributions through central Government, will effect the town council’s budget for the coming year, and possibly on how much Council Tax Thame residents will be asked to pay.

A proposed budget to be presented to councillors at Tuesday’s council meeting. will show an estimated total net expenditure for 2016-17, of £596,209 – all of which will have be raised from the residents of Thame through their Council Tax, an increase from last year of just under £40,000. The council does have some sources of new money to call on to help off-set the losses, including a Localism Fund of £8,000 to spend on work that would have previously been carried out by the county council, and £14,000 of District Council funding for town centre economic development projects. But the list of things the council has to find money for is growing.

At tomorrow’s meeting (19/01), the council will be asked to consider and approve the budget for 2016-17, to agree that £596,209 be raised for the precept (Thame’s part of the Council Tax fund) for 2016-17.

You can read the whole of the Budget report to councillors here: LINK